Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Musikverein

Schubert, Wagner

The Wiener Symphoniker and Vladimir Fedoseyev are usually a good combination, but something was amiss. The concert opened with Schubert‘s Death and the Maiden as arranged for orchestra by Mahler. The Orchestra took some time to warm into the piece. After the intermission came a selection of Wagner (Rienzi Overture, Tannhäuser Overture and Venusberg music, Tristan und Isolde Prelude and Liebestod). Again, perfectly good performances, but a bit of a disappointment since the Symphoniker is better than just “perfectly good.”

I will admit that the Rienzi Overture was better than the last time I heard it live: in high school, when I was first trumpet in the orchestra and my sheet music disappeared before the concert forcing me to try to play an exposed difficult part from memory.